Hampton High School - Krabba Yearbook (Hampton, VA)

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HAMPTON HIGH SCHOOL ELIZABETH CITY COUNTY, VIRGINIA Accredited County High School with highest standing of any in Virginia - N Colors: Red and White Graduates’ Motto: “ Completus tamen incipiens” ampton High School has the oldest ancestry of any public school in the country. It is the direct descendent of Syms-Eaton School which was the first free school ever established in the English colonies of America. Syms-Eaton School had its beginning in 1634, when Benjamin Syms bequeathed two hundred acres of land on the Poquoson River with the milk and in¬ crease of eight milch cows, for the education and instruction of the children of the adjoining parishes of Elizabeth City and Kiquotan. With this a schoolhouse was built in the town of Hampton, on the same location as the site of the present Syms- Eaton school building, and a schoolmaster was provided. Later, in 1659, one Thomas Eaton conveyed five hundred acres of land with houses, two negroes, some livestock, and household furniture for the same purpose. These first schools of Syms and Eaton were, of course, very unpretentious insti¬ tutions, being held in small one-room buildings with one schoolmaster for each and teaching a very limited number of subjects. The schools grew steadily, however, and were rebuilt several times. From their establishment and up to the Revolutionary War numerous references in old documents attest to the growth and good work being done by them. In 1759 the General Assembly had incorporated the officers of the schools as “The Trustees and Governors of Eaton’s Charity School” and “The Trustees and Governors of Syms’ Free School.” During and after the Revolution the cause of education, as well as religion and commerce, suffered much in Elizabeth City. However, in 1805 by Act of the Legisla¬ ture, the two schools were incorporated in one as the “Hampton Academy” and with ML » £ ! - 1927 33SS lur

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the aid of contributions it flourished for many years and did a great work among the children of the community. In 1852, when the present public school system had been adopted by the General Assembly, Elizabeth City County decided favorably for it and Hampton Academy was added to the system. Other smaller schools were placed throughout the county, but the Hampton Academy continued to hold the foremost place and had the most advanced course of studies. That is, it was the county high school of that time. The school building was totally destroyed in 1862 when the citizens of Hampton voluntarily burned the town to save it from being used to advantage by the Northern army. However, the mortgage bonds representing its endowment of $10,000 had been preserved by Col. J. C. Phillips and so a small brick building was erected on the same site soon after the war. This served for several years, then it gave way to the larger, modern brick structure erected in 1902 which is there at present. The school was then named the “Syms-Eaton Academy” after its original benefactors. It was while the Hampton Academy was housed in the little brick building that the development of Hampton High School began. In 1897 the public school in the town of Hampton consisted of eight grades and three grades of high school, com¬ prising about four hundred pupils. The housing facilities were sadly inadequate, so the School Board issued bonds and in 1899 the West End Academy, the present John M. Willis School, was established. This building had ten classrooms and a small library. From that time on the standards of the school were raised considerably and the enrollment grew by leaps and bounds so that it was soon found necessary to add to the rear of the building a wing containing eight rooms. Then came the World War. Hampton High School was caught up in the wave of enthusiasm and patriotism that swept the country. New industries and government posts snrang uo all over the Peninsula. People flocked into Hampton and vicinity from all sides bringing with them more boys and girls to be educated. The schools were soon filled to overflowing. As soon as things began to settle down after the war, a great campaign was started by the school board and the school children themselves and the movement to build a new high school was successfully put across. In 1922 the long-desired cornerstone was laid with all ceremony and much rejoicing. The present high school building stands at the corner of Jackson Street and Vic¬ toria Avenue. It is a three story, brick structure, thoroughly modern in every respect. There are nineteen classrooms and laboratories, a librarv, gymnasium, and audi¬ torium. The athletic field, which is soon to be remodeled, adjoins the school grounds. Six courses of study are offered Hampton High School students: general, college preparatory, science, commercial, home arts, and electrical. Physical training and music appreciation are also given. Every phase of school life is represented in the various extra-curricula organizations. Thus the names of Syms and Eaton, Hampton Academy, West End Academy, link Hampton High School with the most illustrious past that a public school could have. May the present students of Hampton High live up worthily to the traditions of the past and thereby know that “success awaits at labor’s gate.” References from Tyler’s History of Hampton , Virginia. 1 1927 Nine X X - — T T XL 11 IJL JL X 11 IT ' XT